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Friday, January 28, 2011

The Quagmire: Week Five

A Quagmire of Thoughts from a Tree Stand

Greetings from Hunt Like You're Hungry central! I hope you all are having a great week. For those of you new to HLYH, this is a weekly compilation of the outdoors. I began this as round-up that includes not only my own thoughts but stories, reviews, and rants from fellow bloggers. I've had a couple submissions here and there but with duck season in January, I have fallen behind with my beloved Quagmire. But fear not, friends- we're back! There is a little laundry list to get to so I'm going to stop rambling and dive into the good stuff!

2011 Mastodon Hunt

I started to mull over my ability to hunt random species of animals a couple of weeks ago while lounging in the stand. Hunting whitetail was getting boring and ducks were far too easy. I compiled a list of things that would prove more difficult, as many of them are extinct. The first animal on the list was the mighty mastodon. I figured that I would be able to harvest one, but it would be difficult. Getting the permits was one thing, as I had to go to the Museum of Natural Science and beg for a Mastodon Hunting license. When this went swimmingly, I had to focus my attention on my weapon. Given that mastodons are exceedingly hefty (they can exceed 8 tons) I knew that a simple broadhead would fail to do the job. I researched ancient methods for hunting and found that the preferred method was to use some sort of man-made spear. The wheels started turning in my head. It took only a few moments to realize that I could use my Vicxen with a spear and do some major damage. I sighted in my spear-bow using the side of an old barn as a target. As soon as I knew that it was ready, I ventured out to a nearby glacier to wait. Many animals meandered past but when a shadow cast over everything, I knew it was time. Breathing steadily, I took the shot. Down the beast fell and I was able to snap this quick picture:

The hunt was beautiful- if you get a chance to harvest such a prehistoric, extinct species- I strongly encourage it. But now that the beast has fallen... I need some help. Has anyone field dressed a 16,000 pound animal?

HLYH Is Open For Business!

DU is bored. Duck season has reached its end and it seems that he lost his zest for life. In order to quell his sloth-like yearnings, he has decided to build a series of things instead of having to buy them for next season. He created a butt feeder and a swimming decoy out of spare parts that work better than store- brands. Once he conquered the decoy scene, he focused his attention to call lanyard making. We had noticed that stores charge a pricey sum for patrons to buy lanyards that are either of low quality or don't fit properly. Hence, DU set out to learn how to make them himself. His first venture was created out of blue and white chords to reflect his love for all things Indianapolis Colts. DU has now extended his line to include more hunter-friendly colors.

I could be like the Shamwow infomercial guy and dunk the lanyards in water to show you how absorbent they are, but since we're not going for water retention that would be useless. So I'm going for a nice, friendly pitch. If you're looking for a new lanyard in specific colors or are in desperate need for high-quality moving decoys, e-mail me!

Note: I love DU but the off-season combined with days off from school makes him looking for things to fix/clean/annoy me with. Keeping DU busy will not only make me happier but allow me to write more so if you love my writing (and my non-broken appliances) and want it to continue- PLEASE KEEP HIM BUSY.

GUN FOR SALE

The harvest of my first deer was the most pivotal moment in my hunting past.

It was in the iota of a second that gun went off that my adoration of all things hunting was borne.

However, I can't justify keeping that gun in the light of other gun purchases that need to be made as my hunting tastes expand to envelop other wild game. I'm hesitant to let it go but I know it is for the best. The Mossburg 500 will go to a nice farm family with a lot of land that it can hunt.

For those of you who know how deeply one can connect with the firearm that began a lifetime of hunting, you know the feelings I'm experiencing- and why I felt the need to include it on The Quagmire.

Lorretta Lynn- A Goddess of Country Music

GAC is one the best country channels out there. CMT generally plays the same 10 pop-country songs over and over which makes me want to bludgeon my TV. I discovered GAC and while they tend to play some pop-country-crap, they are really good about playing the old mixed with the new.

I was minding my own business one morning when GAC took me by surprise by playing one of the most beautiful songs I have heard in a very long time. Brushing my teeth suddenly took a backseat as I stood in my bedroom, mouth full of toothpaste, and starred at the images on the screen. Loretta Lynn, Miranda Lambert and Sheryl Crow combined their stunning voices to produce a ballad entitled, "Coal Miner's Daughter". The lyrics are stunning, as the song is a tribute to not only Loretta Lynn but also countless female country stars who paved the way for vocalists like Lambert and Crow.

What struck me most were a series of lyrics...

"In the summertime, we didn't have shoes to wear.

But in the wintertime, we'd all get a brand new pair,

From a mail order catalog, money made by selling a hog,

Daddy managed to get the money somewhere."

The song brings the listener back to a time where shoes aren't a necessity but a luxury. Fathers worked hard and mothers took care of their families the best they could. If you haven't heard this song, I strongly suggest a listen- you'll fall back to the past and be thankful for the present.

5,000

Earlier this week, I was astonished to see that my little blog was slowly but surely reaching 5,000 hits. Given that I began this little writing adventure four months ago, I'm shocked that I had reached such a number in such a short amount of time. I'm also reaching 50 followers which, to me, is an astronomical number. When I gained my first follower, I freaked out. I e-mailed DU as quickly as I could and proclaimed "SOMEONE IS FOLLOWING MY BLOG!" Least to say, I was excited. Each time I view a new comment or someone else follows my writing feels like Christmas. I cannot begin to thank each of you enough for the attention that you have given my writing. I know it can be off-the wall sometimes but the fact that you still read it (and since I'm assuming you still are right now, I'm doing something right) means the absolute world to me. So, again- thank YOU. Yes, YOU the one who is reading currently reading the words I type. You are the force which continues my writing and brings happiness to my life everyday.

Well, friends- that's it! For a more concise overview of what I hope for The Quagmire to turn into, please check out the site that is laying hidden beneath these words.

As always, I hope you all have a great week!

For those of you enjoying the last days of duck season- GOOD LUCK! Let me know how you do!

You shouldn't be surprised about the hits and followers - you've got a great blog! Congrats! I'll be sure to comment whenever Blogger isn't giving me the proverbial middle finger. Our relationship is tenuous at best.